Moscow Pride Wins City Approval

For first time since 2006, Moscow city officials have approved a gay pride event. Last October the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Moscow had acted illegally when banning previous pride events. Those bannings came at the demand of anti-gay former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who left office last year.

"The Moscow government told the Moscow gay pride parade organizers on Tuesday that the Moscow authorities have authorized a gay pride parade in Moscow," Alexeyev said in a statement released in Moscow. The organizers notified the Moscow government and the Moscow traffic police of their intention to hold a gay pride parade on April 12, he said. The rally entitled "Moscow Gay Pride Parade: Homosexuality in the History of World Culture and Civilization" will take place on May 28, Alexeyev said. The Moscow authorities have suggested reducing number of the rally participants to 500, which was done, he said.

SERBIA: Neo-Nazis Sentenced To Prison Over Violent Riots At Belgrade Pride

The neo-Nazi organizers of the violent anti-gay riot that broke out during last year's Belgrade Pride have been sentenced to prison. Over 200 people were arrested during the melee.

The Higher Court in Belgrade has sentenced far-right organization Obraz leader Mladen Obradović to two years for organizing riots during 2010 Pride Parade. His wife Jelena was sentenced to a year and Krsta Milovanović and Damir Grbić to a year and a half in prison. Remaining 13 accused persons received sentences ranging from eight months to a year and a half. They were sentenced to minimum sentences since the envisaged jail time for the criminal acts they committed is one to 12 years. Obradović and another 13 persons were accused of organizing a group which caused riots in the streets of Belgrade. The prosecution believes that the defense’s claim that the accused were defending the Orthodoxy is unacceptable and that this was discrimination and rioting.

VIDEO: Here's a clip of the riot.

(Tipped by JMG reade Alja)

NYC Pride Names 2011 Grand Marshals

Via press release:

NYC Pride is excited to announce Dan Savage, Terry Miller, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, and the Imperial Court of New York as Grand Marshals for the 42 Annual LGBT Pride March, which will occur on June 26, 2011. “We are thrilled at the opportunity of hosting such inspiring leaders of LGBT marriage equality, community service, and youth self-assurance.” stated Mike Dunlap, 2011 NYC Pride March Director.

RELATED: I'll be marching with NYC Digital Activists for the third year. JMG readers are welcome to join us! More about that as the date gets closer.

Pride Toronto Redux

Pride Toronto hasn't even begun accepting applications to march in this year's parade, but already last year's controversy is back in the news.

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is pulling out of Toronto’s annual Pride Parade in what the activist group called a “challenge” to mayor Rob Ford, who had threatened to cut the city’s funding to the parade because of the group’s continued participation. The Ford administration’s response? Prove the group is out, and we’ll provide funding. Mr. Ford and his allies on council had said they would cut Pride’s funding altogether if Queers Against Israeli Apartheid takes part. The group’s vocal opposition to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has elicited accusations of anti-Semitism, but some advocates argued the reluctance to fund Pride had more to do with the mayor’s stance toward a flamboyant gay and lesbian event. Pride relies on the city for about a quarter of its budget. Last year, the city gave the parade a $123,807 grant and $245,000 worth of services, such as litter cleanup and policing.